Coping
by hyper13
Summary: The various ways in which Derek and Casey cope.


At fifteen, their lives changed forever. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it's true. The first year is hard for them both. Derek is used to getting what he wants; from his dad, from Nora, from Edwin. The introduction of the McDonald's to the Venturi household changes all of that. Derek's dad, in an effort to please his new wife, doesn't bend as much to Derek's will. Edwin, somewhere along the line (and with Lizzie at his side) grows a backbone. Suddenly, Derek isn't always getting his way. Then, there is Casey, his polar opposite. If there is something he wants, she's going to be the one standing in his way. It's frustrating, annoying, and irritating (refreshing, too, but he doesn't acknowledge that). The pair of them are instantaneously at one another's throats and the McDonald-Venturi house breaks out into World War Dasey. Casey is used to order, structure, and also getting her way with a well thought out and reasoned argument. Things don't quite work that way in the Venturi house. Nora, in an effort to create peace between the blended families, tries to tame Casey's melodramatic tendencies. She's forced into a new school, a new room, and a new routine. Then, there is Derek. He's loud, obnoxious, chauvinistic, and messy. He thrives on ruining structure. It's natural that they're at odds.

_Derek pranks._

_Casey grubs for good grades._

The tension fades and the pair fall into an uneasy alliance (with the frequent occasional friendly fire). Try as they might, they are constantly involved in one another's mess. Their friends get along, they have a lot of the same classes, often times they are thrown together for group projects. Their lives are so intertwined it's near impossible to separate and one has to wonder if that's really healthy. There's still the fighting and the yelling and the wrestling for the remote, but there's also the defending, the protection, the joining together to reach a solution, (the denied friendship).

_Derek starts a band._

_Casey tries recreational running._

Grade 12 is a stressful year for them both. There are exams and college applications and sure Derek insists that he's going to be taking a year off to backpack through Europe (but he's really worried that, maybe, he won't get in anywhere so he likes to pretend he doesn't care). Casey quits running (because all it is, is constant movement; you're going and going and going and ending up the same place you started out and it resonates too closely as a metaphor for how her life might end up, her biggest fear); it's too exhausting and takes up too much time from studying and reading. Derek and Sally break up and Truman cheats on Casey and they're both a pain to be around.

_Derek teaches elementary kids how to play hockey._

_Casey makes (several) pro-con lists._

They both decide to attend Queens and neither will admit (out loud) that they're relieved. Internally, though, they can both acknowledge it because, okay-they can finally admit that they may not be enemies and it's normal to be relieved to being going to the same school as your non-enemy (except, it's quite different from the way Derek and Casey feel about being separated from Sam and Emily, respectively something that neither of them investigates too closely. In order not to examine those feelings too closely-

_-Derek spends the summer working on a film project (he doesn't tell anyone, but it's really for an application to get into a first year media program at Queens)._

_Casey rediscovers her love for dance and takes a community college course._

Derek gets accepted into the media program (he refuses to share the video that earned him the coveted spot) and Casey is incredibly proud. She's never given him so much praise and it's insane how much it means to him. College is different, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. Derek never really understood that saying until he's in his dorm missing home (Casey), and he finds a reason to go see Casey (he absolutely _needed_ that CD, okay, and it's very plausible it ended up in her things and nothing more than that). After that the two of them fall into a new routine that, to their mutual surprise, involves a lot of time together (although they still vehemently deny their friendship out loud).The classes are different, their friends are different, Derek is taking school seriously, Casey learns to relax (the more things change…). Derek and Casey's lives are constantly intertwined, they bicker ("You two are like an old married couple"), they pretend to be annoyed that they're constantly involved in one another's business, most of their friends are mutual, Derek pranks Casey and it's not unusual for "Der_ek_!" to be uttered, quite loudly, with a high level of frustration (... the more things stay the same).

_Derek gets a job._

_Casey joins the school paper._

The call comes in early October. Nora's pregnant. Casey gets the call first (because their parents assume that they won't be anywhere near one another to manage to tell them at the same time). She manages all the right sounds of excitement. Derek makes a comment about the kid staying off his recliner. When they meet up for lunch, the news weighs heavily in the atmosphere. They talk about Derek's semester project and Casey's article. They don't talk about how a baby connects them more than the marriage between his dad and her mom ever did. They're both thinking it, though.

_They get wasted together and the next morning Derek learns that Casey doesn't understand the meaning of hangover (how can she be so perky?)._

They go home for the summer. The further they get away from school and the closer they get to home, the more the air in the car feels like it's suffocating (and if the car stops a block from their house for a few minutes without a word being said, well that stays between them). They come back to new schedules, new routines, and… a new baby. Life has moved on without them. It's not easy to have that knowledge so glaringly obvious, and it's especially difficult for Derek and Casey (they've always been the center of their own world). No one notices that they both refer to Simon as 'the baby' rather than his name.

_Derek joins a summer hockey team._

_Casey takes up knitting._

_They both avoid the baby as much as possible_.

It's a relief to return back to a second year at Queens. Their dorms are closer now, and they once again force themselves in one another's lives as Casey insists on creating a study schedule for Derek. They have lunch together a few times a week. Derek gets a casual girlfriend and Casey starts seeing a lot less of Derek. She avoids the sympathetic gazes of their friends, as if they know something she doesn't, as if she's lost something or hurting inside.

_Casey learns sign language._

Derek's girlfriend insists he spends less time with Casey. "She's my stepsister, you can't tell me to stop hanging out with my stepsibling" (he avoids the word family, and maybe she notices). "I've seen clueless, Derek." He makes a fuss about them being compared to that movie (his chest constricts when he realizes it may be a little too close to the truth) and she drops it. They break up a few weeks later for reasons unrelated to that conversation (honestly… _right_). Casey becomes a serial monogamist-dating for a few months and shying away whenever it starts to get too serious.

_Derek takes up smoking._

The smoking earns him a stern lecture about the perils of the habit, about his lungs, and he's forced to look at before and after lung pictures. He lasts two weeks and has absolutely nothing to do with casey's constant health facts, pointed looks, and guilt trips ("Marti would never forgive me if I let you slowly kill yourself. Me, I can appreciate the nuance of your slow and painful death, but she'd probably miss you."-and if she adds a 'so would I' under her breath, that stays between them). It has everything to do with the fact that it was wreaking havoc on his game, on and off the ice (_right_). She's relieved he quits and he's concerned with the feeling he gets by making her happy.

_Derek has a few one night stands._

_Casey joins the debate team._

Summer approaches and they don't really talk about it, but they get an apartment with two of their friends. They both have jobs and potential internships and all the decent apartments would be gone if they went home for the summer and came back (they don't talk about how neither of them could stand the daily reminder of what the baby represents). Unfortunately, they decide to room with a couple who absolutely enamored with the idea of being able to have some privacy in the bedroom (never mind that the walls are incredibly thin).

_Derek and Casey start hiking._

They actually spend a lot of their free time in the summer going hiking together. They don't talk about it, or plan it; it's just a silent agreement that they go at the same time and they go together. Sometimes they talk and if the conversation contains anything of substance- "Sometimes I worry that I peaked in high school and graduate from University and do nothing with my life" (Casey) or "It's a little scary knowing that I actually want to do something other than hockey with my future. I'm terrified of what comes after college" (Derek)-they'll deny it to the grave. Other times, Derek brings his camera and Casey brings a notebook. By the end of the summer, neither of them are able to deny to themselves their feelings.

_Derek serial dates._

_Casey decides to write a book._

They both declare majors at the start of the term and their roommates break up. It's an awkward situation, sharing the apartment with two people who used to be a couple. Derek and Casey come to an understanding and come to a consensus: 1) The feelings are mutual (it's not so much stated as it is understood and the topic danced around), and 2) this awkwardness is one of the huge reasons they could never follow through (once their lease is up, their friends no longer have to share a living space; Derek and Casey will always have shared holidays with their blended family).

_Derek gets drunk._

_Casey cries._

Despite knowing what could never be, having it out there and known brings them closer together. It's also nice to know the feelings are reciprocated. They don't talk about it again, but Derek stops hooking up. They both occasionally date, and there is a sort of understanding in that. It never works out and Casey wonders aloud if they're destined to be alone ("This is our penance," though she doesn't specify what they're being punished for. He knows, anyway. "It's all fine for you-guys can easily be a lifelong bachelor and no one blinks an eye. For women though, for me? Society pushes insane standards that we _have_ to be married; I'll be shunned and at some point viewed as a spinster. My friends will start to marry and then they'll pity me, trying to set me up on blind dates that I'll have no interest in-" this goes on and on, but she finally settles when Derek promises he'll always be around. A week later, her friend _does_ set her up on a blind date and she ignores Derek for two days when she learns it was his idea. He finds it hilarious. He's also incredibly pleasedterrifiedsad that Casey believes she'll feel this way about him forever).

_Casey takes a pole dancing class ("It's a valid, well-researched method of exercise, Derek, stop laughing.")._

_Derek rents a motorcycle ("I'm careful, I'm not going to die, and I didn't buy the damn thing, Casey, stop freaking.")._

The summer approaches and their lease ends. After some discussion, they get a smaller apartment just the two of them. It's smaller, crappier, and uglier than the other one but they didn't want to risk another awkward situation with roommates. Casey gets an internship at the local paper and Derek gets into a hard-to-come-by spot in a summer media program. They celebrate with ice cream. The next day they learn that this program is a month long and requires Derek to be in New York during that time. George is so proud that he agrees to help out with the rent for that month. The day he's set to leave, Casey takes him to the airport. They don't hug or share any heartfelt words. Derek implies there is a prank waiting for her at home and Casey insists she's glad to be rid of him for a month to which Derek replies, "I know." He says it with such sincerity and seriousness that Casey knows he was reading between the lines and responding appropriately. It's more than enough.

_Casey spends the first night in his bed and spend the rest of the month carefully wrapping the contents of his bedroom in the uglies Christmas wrapping paper she can find._

_Derek spends the month trying to capture as much of his trip on film and camera as he can and not thinking about wanting to bring her one day._

Casey spends seventy-five percent of her internship getting coffee, running errands, getting notebooks, doing office supply shopping, and other gopher type tasks. It's exhausting and a little annoying, but she doesn't mind because the twenty-five percent when she gets to actually learn and do journalistic activities, she's thrilled. She and erek email constantly and she's always surprised by how well written his responses are. It strikes her that he could be a writer, if he wanted (he has the imagination and a gift with words). They discuss a lot of things they'd probably never talk about in person. Sometimes they dance around The Subject. Derek learns a lot about film, scrips, and cinematography so he's glad he went on the trip, even if it means a month of missing Casey (he's used to missing her when she's right there with him, so it's not so hard). He acknowledges, in his own way ("Kevin just doesn't appreciate a good prank the way you do. There's no yelling, no annoyed reaction, and it doesn't end in a wrestling match."), that he misses her; he doesn't say that her emails are the highlight of his day.

_Derek does the tourism thing._

_Casey learns kickboxing._

She picks him up from the airport and there's a slight pause of awkwardness as they both resist a flood things they shouldn't do. Finally, Casey tells him she was making dinner and they should get in the car. Derek fills her in on the parts of his trip he hadn't already shared with her and elaborating on some of the things he did. Casey tells him about writing inspiration she's had and how her book is coming, but she still won't tell him what it's about. She makes mashed potatoes, pot roast, and dances in the kitchen. Derek pretends not to watch her and focuses on a comic book. Nora calls a week later and insists that they come and stay a weekend with them before the school year starts back up. The both stay up far too late the night before they're supposed to head home.

_Derek shoots baskets._

_Casey alphabetizes their DVDs._

They haven't been home since Christmas and it's not quite as much of a shock to the system that everything is changed from how they knew it in high school. Casey's on edge the entire drive home. "She was so insistent that we come. You don't think…?" "Would it make a difference?" Derek was quiet, his voice low and Casey supposed he was right. Still, it was a concern for both of them, the possibility that Nora was having another baby. They talked about anything but what was waiting for them at home. The entire weekend they were both on edge, waiting for some big bomb to drop. Turns out Nora was feeling emotional as the two eldest were about to finish college and Lizzie and Edwin were about to finish high school. She was content at the chaos from having all the kids in the house for the weekend. Casey and Derek were just relieved there was no more big news. Still, the tension doesn't ease from their shoulders or their conversation until they're almost back to their shared apartment. The thing that sticks with them, though, is when Lizzie and Edwin admit that some people had made comments about them possibly being _together_. It's not so much that, but the look on George and Nora's face at the idea (and, while they had agreed that they would never-could never-act out on their feelings, there was a small part of the both of them that thought if they ever gave in, their family would accept them). Casey and Derek had glanced at their respective parents and then exchanged a look. They didn't discuss what they saw.

_Derek flirts at the bar._

_Casey goes speed dating._

"You can't honestly expect to find your soulmate, or whatever shit you believe in, at one of these things?" Of course he mocks the speed dating thing because it's dumb, it's lame, and it's a Casey thing so nature dictates that he pokes fun (and okay, yeah, he's jealous so sue him and never mind the fact that _he_ believes in soul mates). She gives him a pointed look, because "Of course not, Derek, but I might find a compatible person to spend my life with." He makes a joke about how anyone would want to spend their life with a neurotic headcase was beyond him and they're back to the familiar dynamic. Casey goes on a few dates with someone she meets while speed dating and, coincidentally, Derek happens to be on a date at the same place each time. It turns into a weird awkward date and by the end of the third date, their respective dates are more interested in one another than they are interested in Derek and Casey. They argue about it, talking around the real reason they're upset. "I can't believe you told him all those stories, Derek." ("I can't believe you won't give me a chance to be marginally happy.") "That's rich coming from you, Case. You shared your fair few of horror stories. I'm surprised she lasted three dates. That guy was a dick, anyway. I did you a favor." ("Why are you looking for something serious when I want you so badly?") They've always been pretty good at reading between the lines. The rest of their family ignores this as it's par for the course at this point. They always make up and it's not long before the co-eds are arguing over the remote and laughing about some inside joke. Still, everyone's a little bit relieved when they go back to their apartment. The new semester starts and it's a flashback to their senior year of high school; they have to work harder, there's suddenly an insane amount of work due, and the stress of finding a job post-graduation weighs heavily on them both.

_Casey tries yoga._

_Derek tries the yoga instructor._

Naturally, there is a fight over the yoga instructor. "How am I supposed to go back to that class when you inevitably break her heart?" "Who says that I'm going to leave her?" That, of course, leads to an even bigger fight; the kind with no arguing, no dramatics, and no yelling. The kind where Casey walks around pretending that he doesn't exist. He breaks it off with the yoga instructor (because no amount of flexibility is worth the silent treatment from Case). Casey doesn't go back to that yoga class and picks a new class with a male instructor. Ultimately she does forgive Derek, but it sparks a conversation about _feelings_. She expects him to shy away from the subject, but they've been implying and hiding about it for so long that, he doesn't even bat an eye when she says she's tired of pretending. "Me, too. I don't think it's going to go away." They're in agreement in that as well. After several hours (and two bottles of wine) later, they decide that it might be worth exploring. They can keep it quiet, for now, so if it blows up in their faces there is less fall out. "If it works out," because it has the potential to be great, "then we'll tell people." They kiss. It's awkward, there's too much pressure, and they both end up laughing. They decide to let it happen naturally and as they part ways for bed, Derek turns and calls her name. When Casey faces him, he cups her face and kisses her warm and gentle. His hands are shaking and she's a little breathless when he pulls away, but it's perfect. Now on top of the pressure of the semester, they have the pressure of their secret relationship.

_Derek avoids discussing what they're going to say when they tell their families._

_Casey stress cleans._

The relationship is… surprisingly easy. They still argue, they still get competitive, but it's easy. Derek thought there would be more pressure, having seen so many of Casey's past relationships. Casey thought she'd be more worried about trusting Derek, but it wasn't an issue. A few months in, they decide to visit a school counselor. To her credit, she doesn't bat an eye when Casey and Derek explain their situation. "It's not entirely uncommon, particularly meeting at your age. I'm surprised you didn't try dating a lot sooner." Derek refused to let Casey call it couples therapy, but he actually doesn't mind going. They are prepared to make this work and to contain the issue if it doesn't work and talking to the Doc will help that. He's less afraid it won't work out, though, the longer they stay together. Casey is it for him, and she gives him that sappy smile when he casually mentions that to her over dinner. The Christmas holidays are approaching, marked by Casey's neurotic calendar marking and Derek's increased, random pacing. They go back and forth about telling their parents, but since they've only been dating a few months and there's so much other stuff to focus on, they agree to keep it secret. Still, going home has always been a reminder of 'Why Not' and now that circumstances are different, Casey's not sure she can handle it the same way she has the past three years.

_Derek makes Christmas Break plans with Ralph and Sam._

_Casey writes a persuasive essay to try and convince herself it will be fine._

As the semester wraps up, Derek gets a progress report on his final project, a film that will be submitted to a competition at the end of the year. He's doing well, but there's a lot of work that needs to be done. Casey decides that she wants to give college theater a try and auditions for _Into the Woods_. She gets the part of the witch and Derek loses his mind laughing. She doesn't mind, though, because he also says he's proud and it's a great part, so what if he finds it hilarious that she's going to have to be an old hag. They don't talk about Christmas break until they absolutely have to. They go home and it's not so bad. Lizzie and Edwin are still in school for another week, Nora and George are at work, and Simon is at daycare. That is, until he gets sick and Nora calls them in the middle of the afternoon to go pick him up. It's not that they don't _like_ him. He's a good kid, and he's cute. But, Casey can't help but notice how he looks a little like a mixture of her and Derek. Derek just doesn't like the reminder. They pick him up together and when they're at the grocery store a woman comments how cute their kid is. They dump Simon on Casey's mom as soon as she's home.

_Casey takes over Christmas dinner._

_Derek plays an insane amount of video games at Sam's house._

He can't help himself and while at Sam's house, Derek casually mentions that he and Casey are dating. Sam nearly falls out his chair and busts out laughing (he never believed they'd ever admit their feelings, so this has to be a joke). Derek just shrugs, but there's a smug smile on his face. "You're not joking." "Nope." So then they go into the past few years and how they haven't really told anyone. Sam takes it well, which Derek thinks is good. If Sam thought it was inevitable, then surely their parents will handle it as well. They at least waited until they left the house, right? Casey isn't too upset that he spilled the beans. In fact, she's a little smug about it all. "King of the Lies, the Ultimate Secret Keeper himself couldn't keep it in." It makes her feel good. She then insists that she gets to tell Emily. "The biggest gossip of Thompson High, I don't think so." "You told your best friend, I get to tell mine." He ultimately gives in and it's worth the excited smile on her face. Emily's response was about the same as Sam's. "About time." So, it turns out she can keep a secret. Christmas dinner George remarks that he's relieved that Casey and Derek seem to be getting along. "It's nice to see you treating one another like siblings instead of mortal enemies," Nora agrees. They both visibly cringe. "Derek will never be my brother, no matter what your marriage certificate says." Casey says with such acidity that everyone else wonders if maybe their the fact that they'd been getting along was more of a cold war than it was them actually being friends. Derek agrees, immediately, and they both excuse themselves for dinner not long after.

_They don't talk about it, but they share a pint of ice-cream later that night._

They are both relieved to be back at school. It's easy to forget Christmas dinner with deadlines coming up, job applications to fill out, hockey games, and theater rehearsals. As the semester ends, Casey is filled with nerves over the approach of her play. Derek's film was picked as one of the qualifying films, meaning it will be played in front of people, in front of Casey. He invites their family to the Film Festival, deciding that it will be a good time to tell them about him and Casey. The week of the play, Casey is a trainwreck of nerves.

_She preserves her voice by drinking hot tea by the gallon and refusing to yell at Derek._

The play goes well and Casey does spectacularly. Derek brings her flowers the first night of the show, "but don't expect it for every show. That was my one good deed for the day." She kisses him on the lips and he thinks maybe he will bring flowers for the other shows. Once the play is over, Casey focuses on Derek's project. He refuses to let her see it, but let's slip that it was the film that got him into the first year media program and got him the spot in that summer program. She's even more curious since he's been working on it for four years now. The day before the film festival he tells Casey that he wants to tell their parents. She's hesitant, but he's insistent and their counselor thinks it's a good idea so she agrees. He can't sit still the night before.

_The morning of, he spends most of the time throwing up in the bathroom._

They meet up with their family. Casey sits with them, but Derek has to introduce his film. Casey saves him a seat. She knows him well enough that she can tell he's nervous on the stage, but he looks like a natural. He easily wins the crowd over and if it were just a matter of that, he'd have it in the bag, she's confident. Derek talks about how he had trouble finding inspiration for the audition film, about how this is four years in the making, "Maybe longer, if I really look at it." He talks about the many titles the movie has gone through, "but today it's presented to you as _In Plain Site_." The film opens with high school Derek and high school Casey on the stairs of their house, they're arguing. Derek looks smug and arrogant, Casey's eyes are flashing angrily. He laughs as she storms away, but he watches her go and he's not laughing when his face is back in view of the camera. There are a lot of shots of this, different ones of them arguing; sometimes they are aware of the camera, sometimes they aren't. Then it shifts and Casey is the main focus of the film. Sometimes she's laughing, there are a few where she's crying, and some with bed head. Before Casey can commit to killing him, internally, Derek's voice is heard over the images. "This is Casey; she's always so stressed about perfection, about being perfect. I could go into all the reasons _why_ she's that way, but I think I'll just settle with she's beautiful, always and sometimes I wish she wouldn't try so hard because…" then there are pictures of Casey laughing, with her hair falling from it's ponytail, pictures of Casey super focused and studying in sweatpants with her hair down, and more images of Casey when she's not immaculate. "She's always more beautiful like this." Real Casey refuses to look at her parents, and really why would she want to tear her eyes away from the screen. The film goes on with shots back when they thought they hated one another, shots of temporary truces, shots of them together, a few of them holding hands or acting silly, acting like a couple. The whole time Derek talks about how he thought he hated her, how he was in denial of his feelings, and how he should have known he was in love with Casey because it was right in plain site. The film ends with several scenes where Casey can be heard (and sometimes seen) saying his name, quite a few of them with his name broken in half out of irritation. That's not all though; there are some where she says his name, amused, relieved, or even happy. Derek has made a film with their love story, a film about how it's always been Casey for him.

_Casey chews her nails._

_Derek pretends nonchalance, but his leg won't stop bouncing._

"You just told everyone in this audience that you're in love with your stepsibling." Casey points out, when they have a brief moment alone. They still haven't spoken with their family, yet. "I _am_," he points out. She's smiling, even though she's trying to be mad. "You're insane," she tells him and he kisses her. He wins third place, which isn't bad. They meet their family for dinner. It's a quiet, awkward affair. Casey tries to broach the subject a few times until Nora finally puts her fork down, glancing at everyone around them. "Casey, not here. Not now." Derek and Casey exchange a look because that could very well be an indication of how this conversation is to go.

_Casey pushes her food around on her plate._

_Derek holds her hand under the table._

Nora and George drop the kids off at the hotel promising to meet Casey and Derek at their apartment.

_Derek paces._

_Casey reorganizes their kitchen._

They both hesitate to answer the door when they hear the knock, but Casey ultimately lets them in. George and Nora stand just past the door. No one speaks until Derek steps forward and takes Casey's hand in his. His dad zeroes in on the gesture. "How long?" He asks at the same time that Casey asks them to sit. They exchange a look and quietly explain that it happened around September. There's a visible expression of relief on both their faces and Casey knows they were worried about what had gone on under their roof while they were in high school. "How long do you think this will last?" George asks, and they both discuss how they've been seeing a counselor and they think that this will last a long time. It's obviously a shock the way Derek casually mentions how committed he is to this course of action. "I can't believe how selfish you're both being." Nora says and Casey looks like she's been slapped. Derek's hand tightens around Casey's. "We're not. We've talked about the ways that this can impact everyone else. We held off for a few years because of it, but we've gotten with a counselor who thinks that if something were to happen, we'd be able to handle it without imploding the family." It was Nora's turn to flinch away from the word. "This, this isn't right, Casey." Derek's heart drops because as much as Casey loves him, she loves her mom and authority figures, and he's so sure he's going to lose her. Her hand slips from his and he's thinking of something, anything that he can say to fix this. "Get out." He blinks, at Casey. She can't just kick him out, can she? But she's looking at her mom. Nora looks just as shocked as she feels. "Case," Derek says but she shakes her head. "No, I know this is right and I'm not going to stand here and be insulted. I love Derek. I will always love Derek, and that's not going to change regardless of what you, or anyone else says. We met when we were _fifteen_, you can't just wish a familial connection into being." Derek is proud and slightly terrified, but he says nothing. "You can leave, if we aren't going to have a productive counseling." Nora makes a comment about them causing all the kids to need therapy and Casey wrenches the door open. Their parents leave.

_Casey spends the night baking._

_Derek spends the night editing useless footage._

They graduate and get jobs. They don't hear from their parents, though Derek does try to reach out. They do hear from Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti. Lizzie and Edwin were initially weirded out by the idea, but it was more about how it changed the view of their own relationship (they decided there is most definitely a familial relationship between the two of them), but looking back they realized it should have been obvious. Marti just wants to know if she can be in the wedding ("We're not getting married, Smarti." "Not yet." - yeah, Derek isn't quite ready to get there, yet). They don't mention George and Nora.

_Casey wakes up in the middle of the night and writes frantically._

_Derek occasionally goes to the gym and learn to box._

They get jobs and find a new apartment. It's still a two bedroom, but now they use the second bedroom for an office. Marti comes to stay with them after she blows up at Nora and George, "this wouldn't have had such a weird impact on our family if it hadn't been for your reaction!" It's the first time that Nora calls Casey since that day in their apartment. It's short and brief. "Yes, she's here. Yes, she's safe. Yeah, here she-never mind, she won't take the phone. I'll tell her… Uh. Yes, we'll bring her tomorrow." She pretends it's no big deal, they're just dropping off Marti, but Derek knows her better than that.

_Casey doesn't sleep and purges her closet._

_Derek stays up late playing card games with Marti._

Casey is fidgeting the entire car ride until Derek reaches across and takes her hand in his. She squeezes his hand in return and Marti wishes her dad and Nora could see this and maybe then they would get it. There's a slight hesitation before Casey determines that they need to walk Marti to the door. She hesitates, again, at the door because she doesn't know if she should knock or just walk in. Marti rolls her eyes but she hugs Casey and knocks. George opens it and ushers them in. It's awkward, again, but they invite them for lunch and they stay. They talk, and it's a step forward. It opens up the lines of communication and a year later when the looks and the flinching and the little subtle expressions stop, Derek proposes.

_Casey plans every minute of the wedding._

_Derek pranks her._


End file.
